TEMPE, Ariz. — Going into Tuesday night's game against Oklahoma State, Arizona State's men's basketball ranked dead last in the Big 12 in rebounds per game, and head coach Bobby Hurley let the world know in his post-game press conference following the team's loss to Colorado on Saturday, Feb 7.

“We got seven games left, so if we can’t rebound now, then chances are we’re not going to be able to rebound,” Hurley said.

However, that narrative changed fast in a fashion that hasn’t been seen from this year's ASU squad. 

“Looks like we figured out how to rebound,” Hurley said on Tuesday. 

ASU’s (13-12, 4-8 Big 12) tremendous effort on the glass powered the team to an 85-76 victory and its fourth conference win of the campaign over an OSU (16-7, 4-7 Big 12) squad in the midst of a rough trip out west in front of a rowdy Desert Financial Arena crowd on Tuesday Feb. 10. 

The Sun Devils put their rebounding woes in the rearview mirror, out-rebounding the Cowboys 45-34, which would be a determining factor in the ballgame. 

“I thought overall the balance was good and it set the tone early in the game, establishing our ability to get some rebounds,” Hurley said. “(When) we missed shots, we were able to get second-chance opportunities.” 

On the night, ASU recorded 19 offensive rebounds, providing more possessions and fueling its 24 second-chance points. 

“It's probably the biggest differential we’ve had in second-chance points all season,” Hurley said. 

While other aspects of their game improved Tuesday, the Sun Devils' shooting struggles persisted, with the squad shooting a poor 40% from the field and an abysmal 23.8% from 3-point range.

Despite the slump, ASU forced 17 OSU turnovers while committing only 11, a factor Hurley said contributed to the win. 

“Turning them (over) 17 times was big for us because we didn’t shoot great again,” Hurley said. “Usually, we would need around 10 made threes against an opponent like this. But certainly our (defensive) activity was good.”

Hurley praised the play of sophomore guard Noah Meeusen, who, despite having 12 points, poured in three steals and a few major deflections defensively. 

“Noah Meeusen was very good down the stretch, handling the ball, making the decisions, had a great pass to (graduate forward) Allen Mukeba, made his free throws, he had some sneaky good deflections and steals at key moments,” Hurley said. “He was very active.”

Meeusen wasn’t the only Sun Devil to show out, as sophomore forward Santiago Trouet contributed one of his most impressive outings of the season, adding 16 points and 10 rebounds despite seemingly being in foul trouble early in the second half. 

“I think we lost last game because of rebounding,” Trouet said. “I took it personal when I heard (Hurley) speak in the press conference.” 

With just over 15 minutes remaining in the game, Trouet picked up his fourth foul of the contest, resulting in the forward taking his anger out on a chair before the officials corrected the ruling.

“They told me I had four fouls, and I knew I had three; they gave me an extra foul,” Trouet said. “I’ll talk to the chair tomorrow and say sorry.” 

Yet the most impressive aspect of Trouet's performance Tuesday night came on the offensive glass, as the Argentinian forward battled his way to four key offensive rebounds.

“I can’t speak for Ali (Mukeba), but for me it's just go,” Trouet said. “It's a mentality.”

Although eventually pulling away to a nine-point victory, the Sun Devils lead fell to just a point with four minutes remaining following a 3-pointer from Cowboys junior guard Kanye Clary. 

Then, according to OSU head coach Steve Lutz, ASU senior guard Moe Odum happened.

“Big shot by Odum with about four minutes … we were a little low, and he came off to his left, which he does two-thirds of the time,” Lutz said. “He put a dagger in us.”

With the season winding to a close, the Sun Devils enjoy a week off before returning to Desert Financial Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 9 p.m. MST for a late-night ranked showdown against No. 16 Texas Tech.

“It feels good to win,” Hurley said. “We have a chance to finish forward, but we still have six games left, and we’ve just got to treat it that way and see how many wins we can get.”